ROMANCE OF THE SEA.

Otago Witness, Issue 313, 28 November 1857, Page 7

ROMANCE OF THE SEA.

AN ADVENTUROUS' LEITH FAMILY. In the Birkenhead Dock, says the Liverpool Daily Post, there is now lying as pretty a little craft as ever hoisted a sail — the brigantine Union, Captain James Muclriejohn. Connected with this little "plougher of the deep" is a small romance which will, doubtless, be interesting, not only to \ the nautical but to the general reader. The Union is a model craft, and her commander | is ditto a seaman. The peculiarity of the case is j this — that the vessel was built, is commanded, and j crewed all by one family ; and, moreover, sea service has been rendered by the wife of the master and the mother of the crew. Captain James Mucklejohn is a native of Leith, a hardy Scot. Having in his youth to encounter obstacles which ever beset those who aspire to make their way in the world, he resolved to fight with them like a man ; and, with that determination of action for which his country is so distinguishable, he set himself to follow out to success one given course of life. Like all sensible men, the first want he found to the accomplishment of the object he had determined upon was a wife, a good one, and he happened to be fortunate in his choice; he engaged and consummated with a bonny lass from Inverness. His domestic position now being settled, he emigrated with her to Prince Edward's Island about twentysix years ago. A virtuous marriage is generally followed by beneficial results. Natural contingeni cies resulted in this case, the family grew up all j sons, and no one family ever appeared to live more happily, not even that in Noah's ark — the beasts of course excepted. They settled down in the colony of Prince Edward's Island as farmers, and were prospeiing. As early aspirations in love lead lo disquietude, so does early occupation oftentimes to discontent in position. The father had been brought up as a shipwright, and the sons had been originally taught the same trade. Notwithstanding the' beauty of the broad fields, and the charms of rural life, a ship to them was more attractive than a farm. " They took counsel together," and determined upon enterprising in the shipbuilding trade. Prince Edward's Island swarms with trees ; their axes went to work and they hewed them down. A determined course of proceeding had now been come to. In process of time they constructed some vessels entirely with their own hands, except the smith's work, and brought them for sale to Liverpool. These vessels were sold by Messrs. Wilson and Brown, of this port. The first one, the Isabella, of 130 tons, in 1852; in 1853, the Bee, of 97 tons; and, in 1554, the Success of 230 tons ; and, in addition to the occupation of farming and the art of shipbuilding, the family acquired the art of seamanship and navigation. Genius, however, is always restless, always endeavouring, and ever accomplishing. This family of unison had long had a desire to try their fortunes at the Antipodes, as farmers ; or, perhaps, the temptations of the gold fields of Australia or New Zealand offered more inducement to the creation of wealth. They therefore came to the determination of leaving Prince Edward's Island. How was this to be accomplished in a compact ? After a family consultation, the father urged that j the only way was to build a ship ; the sons agreed , with him, and they set to work, and built entirely j with their own hands, the brigantine Union, and fitted her out expressly to convey them to New I Zealand. They launched her at Prince Edward's Island on the 22nd of May, 1856, and sailed on the 24th of the next month with a cargo of timber for Belfast, where she arrived in twenty-three days — manned (save that Mrs. Mucklejobn invariably sails with the lot) by one family, Captain Mucklejohn, and | his sons James, John, Alexander, "William, Robert, I and Lemuel. The second son, Septimus, " had married a wife," and therefore " could not come," or, rather, go. In Belfast they coppered their "good and trusty ship," and otherwise fitted her | for a long voyage (matters which could not well be done on the island), and then left in ballast for ! Cardiff, where they took in coals for Alicant, in Spain, arriving there in eighteen days. They next proceeded south, taking a cargo of wine to Rio de Janeiro, making the run in fifty days. Thence to Monte Video,. with salt taken from the cargo of an American ship, in fourteen days. By these means, that is, by a trading voyage, they were gradually approaching their destination, and making the speculation lucrative. But -here, from- some unexplained cause— probably the temptation of a good freight — the course was altered'; and Capfain Mucklejohn was induced to take in a cargo of bones and bone ash at Pysondu for this port, leaving the River Plate, on the 31st of March. When out a short time they encountered a terrific gale ; "the little ship trembled, but never "shrank;" she battled with the waves " as would a mother for

her child;" and -being nearly overwhelmed, was providentially saved by a sudden change of wind. The adventurers and "their own-built craft arrived here on the 17th of June, and are now fitting out once more far. the Antipodes. From the Cape she may probably call at the Mauritius, thence to Australia on New Zealand. Such is the history of a ship built, manned, and navigated by a single family.— Edinburgh Herald, August 1.